HARD AT WORK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19135, 2 October 1936, Page 4

HARD AT WORK

CONFIDENT BRITAIN FAITH IN GOVERNMENT HOUSING ENTERPRISES MR. J. HAIR'S IMPRESSIONS "Everything one sees in Britain gives one the impression that the country is hard at work,, that she is facing up to her industrial and social problems, and that the Government of the day has the confidence of the people in a large measure. There are some areas in the coal regions which are recognised as suffering from depressed conditions even now, but in the other parts of Britain the wheels of industry are in motion, and gaining momentum as they turn, in a number of businesses the turnover during the past year has exceeded all previous records," state Mr. James Hair, a well-known Gisborne businessman, in an interview to-day on his impressions gained during his recent tour abroad.

Having spent several months in liritain and a short time in America, ;Mr. tlair brought back a number of interesting observations. He had ' intended to visit the Continent of Europe, but pressure of time prevented him doing so. the unsettled condition of public affairs jn the Continent had dissuaded many thousands of tourists from undertaking visits to France, Germany, and other states, including, of course, Spain, and an incidental effect of this had been a .olden harvest for British tourist resorts SENSE OF SECURITY It was impossible to escape the conviction that people from other countries •till regarded Britain as the bulwark of stability in a decidedly difficult international situation, and that they toured in England, Scotland and Wales with a sense of complete security from untoward political developments. Contributing to this sense of security was the evident ability of the British Government to control its affairs, with the support of a majority of the general electorate. The repeated instances in which the Cabinet had shown itself to e above petty considerations had done a great deal to strengthen confidence. The downfall of a member of the Cabinet itself, much as it had been regretted owng to the popularity of the victim, and also the dismissal of a high official of the Air Ministry, had indicated to the public hat the Government, and Parliament as a whole, was determined to maintain the highest standard of public service and ','ood faith. That both inquiries had been carried out with dispatch and the ''.tidings executed without delay of any 'vincl was a further assurance to the public that departures from the highest standards would not go unpunished. SOCIAL CONDITIONS Reforms in social conditions were be.ng pushed ahead, said Mr. Hair, and in ihe field of home-building .'there was evident the greatest enterprise of all. lividence of the new spirit dominating die country was seen in almost every city of England and Scotland, and many of the older and poorer quarters of the principal cities were being entirely renoused, the old giving place to the new; ! while on the outskirts of the big industrial cities new suburbs, complete with their own shopping areas and public utilities, were taking their shape in the new order of things. With the coming of better times, continned Mr. Hair, the people of Britain were becoming more car-minded than ever, and in the week-ends especially the whole population seemed to transfer to wheels. Buses., cars, and bicycles crowded the roads, creating new transport problems. To meet the new conditions, and the necessities of public transport, 40CO miles of arterial roads had been declared national highways, 3000 miles of which required to be straightened, widened, re-graded, and re-surfaced, a huge task in which an army of men would be engaged.

Further evidence of Britain's new prosperity may be gleaned from the fact that recently the Bank of England note issue reached the unprecedented figure of £440,000,000. This figure is most significant, and with other indications suggests the expansion and acceleration of trade, and brisk spending by the public. INTERNATIONAL SITUATION

Referring to the international situation, Mr. Hair stated that while Britain was doing all in her power to maintain world peace, she had faced up to the. necessity of being prepared for any eventuality. The importance of this new policy might be gauged from the fact, that the Opposition in the House of Commons bad lately ceased its criticism of the rearmament scheme. In the meantime rearmament activity was making its contribution to the expansion of business throughout Britain.

Further, the world rendezvous for tourists to-day rested in Britain, Mr. Hair remarked. This fact was largely due to the unsettled condition of the European Stales. The prospect of next year's Coronation ceremonies, moreover, already had fired the imagination of British people, and had helped to quicken the pulse of trade. The popularity of the Sovereign was amazing, for wherever His Majesty was expected to appear in public, thousands of people would queue up hours before his arrival, in order to pay their tribute of loyalty. The recent visit to the Adriatic and the Bosphorus, to all appearance a pleasure cruise, was considered in many quarters to have developed into a masterly move in diplomacy and the creation of goodwill.